Flags that Ukrainian servicemen carried in combat showcased on National Flag’s Day

Exhibition of Ukrainian flags that the servicemen were carrying in combat opened on Sofiyska square in Kyiv on 23 August – the Day of Ukraine’s National Flag. The flags are showcased inside a pop-up construction installed on the square and decorated with yellow-and-blue cloth.

Most of the flags at the exhibition are brought from the combat zone and belong to a particular unit of Ukrainian Armed Forces or the National Guard. Many are covered with hand-writing and pictures indicating units’ deployment places with dates, servicemen’s call signs, words of encouragement and support. Alongside the combat flags there are ones taken from militant captivity while risking the life, flags that parted in Crimea events and the Revolution of Dignity.

This flag is of the 13th airborne battalion of the 95th airmobile brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Ukrainian paratroopers were carrying it in combat for the Donetsk airport in January 2015 and when repelling militant offensive on Maryinka in 4 July 2015. “He who is strong in spirit is always ahead” says one of the signs on the flag. There is also an improvised map of the unit’s deployment places in the upper part of the flag.

This flag went through the Ilovaysk battle. A friend presented it as a gift to the soldier of the 93rd mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Kurenko. The flag was flying above the unit’s stronghold. On 29 August 2014 it was inside the Zil truck that was breaking through from Ilovaysk in the Ukrainian convoy and was destroyed under enemy’s fire. It was discovered in the burnt vehicle by the search group Evacuation-200 (Black Tulip) in September 2014. Two of the pictured servicemen were killed during the breakthrough.

The exhibition’s visitors took their time thoroughly “reading” each flag. Many were moved to tears. A lot of visitors were enthusiastic and used the opportunity to leave their messages on the flags that, according to the exhibition staff are to be passed to Ukrainian servicemen in ATO.

Ukrainian combat veteran is writing a message on the flag for Ukrainian servicemen in ATO.